


Expansion Project

by badly_knitted



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Aliens, Drama, Ficlet, Gen, Plans, Weevils (Torchwood)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 17:43:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19978003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badly_knitted/pseuds/badly_knitted
Summary: Weevils setting up home in derelict buildings is a perennial problem for Torchwood.





	Expansion Project

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Prompt 98: Factory at anythingdrabble.

Abandoned factories made good nesting sites for Weevils, away from the dampness of the sewers, where the young could be brought safely into the world, protected from predation by rival Weevil packs.

It meant such places were best avoided, where possible, and Cardiff’s homeless found less hazardous places to shelter in bad weather, such as beneath bridges or in doorways. Just because a disused building still had a roof, and in some cases a door and intact windows, didn’t make it a safe place to get out of the rain. Not unless you fancied sharing with a seriously territorial bunch of toothy monsters that were liable to rip your throat out while you slept.

Torchwood did their best to restrict Weevils to the sewers, but most of the old warehouses and factories had sewer access in their basements, and while the team repeatedly blocked off those access points, sooner or later another pack of enterprising Weevils would come along, unblock them, and set up home until they were driven out again.

“There has to be a better way,” Ianto commented late one night after doing just that. There’d been seven Weevils, including two young, living it up in what had once been this factory’s office. The team had rounded them up, herded them down the manhole in the basement, dropped the cover back in place, and piled rusting machinery on top of it, knowing that in a month or so they’d have to do the same thing all over again. Weevils were nothing if not persistent, especially when it came to staking their claim to a desirable residence.

“We can’t concrete over the sewer access points,” Jack said reasonably, “and nothing short of that is going to stop determined Weevils. Anyway, they’d just come up elsewhere and enter through the doors and windows.”

“Bulldoze the place flat,” Owen suggested. “It’s fallin’ down anyway.”

“Right, and get charged with criminal damage.” Ianto rolled his eyes. “Just because the factory isn’t being used doesn’t mean nobody owns it. Probably using it as some kind of tax write-off.”

Jack looked pensive; structurally, the factory was one of the better-preserved derelict buildings. It had a couple of broken downstairs windows, but there were sturdy doors, working plumbing inside, and the roof was intact.

“Wouldn’t be a bad idea for Torchwood to have a secondary base,” he mused. “I wonder if the current owner would be interested in selling…”

Owen stared at his boss in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!” 

“Why not? If our main base gets compromised, or a lockdown leaves us stranded outside, it would be handy to have somewhere else stocked with emergency supplies and equipment. This factory’s in a good location, we could get contractors to fit it out for us, Retcon them after. Leave the outside looking derelict so people won’t know it’s in use. Put a lockable hatch on the sewer access to keep the Weevils out…”

Ianto nodded. “Not a bad idea. I’ll look into who owns it.”

The End


End file.
